Taking Robbie out for his daily walk has got to be one of my favourite times of the day. As I work from home a lot, I always make sure I take him out on my lunchbreak, that way I can get away from my laptop, get some fresh air and come back feeling invigorated and inspired for the rest of the afternoon – it’s a great way to clear out the cobwebs, although since I entered the third trimester our usual walk has turned into a slow plod, but we get there!
We have a beautiful nature reserve right by our house, with a huge, tall windmill that overlooks the sea. It’s such a beautiful spot, you just can never get bored on looking at that view – although I have to say just recently, Robbie isn’t too keen as the sheep have recently moved back in with their evil electric fence that gave Robbie the shock of his life back in the summer. He clearly still remembers as he won’t go anywhere near the sheep pen! So, even though we’ve changed our route to avoid the sheep and plod along, stopping to catch our breath every few minutes – our walks may change over time, but we still enjoy them just the same.
So this post today is to talk about dog care tips for the winter, there are a few extra steps we need to think about when taking our little mutts out as the weather gets chilly, so I hope you’ll find this helpful! Luckily for us in Brighton we’ve not yet had snow or ice, however I’m sure the temperature is going to drop at some point, and when it does – we will be prepared!
WINTER COAT
Buy your pup a gorgeous coat
LIGHT UP YOUR PUP
As it gets dark so early, make sure you can see your pup in low light or in the mist and fog. You can buy clip on lights for their collar, although I’ve found the most reliable product is a flashing or fully illuminated collar or harness
COSY, WARM BEDDING
Make sure your dog has a cosy, warm space they can sleep in that is away from draughts. Robbie gets really chilly at night, his little ears are like ice cubes, so he often sleeps on our bed as thats the warmest place in the house (plus he’s like a little hot water bottle for us – win, win!). Ensure the room your dog is is warm, even in the coldest parts of the night.
CLEAN THOSE FEET!
Dogs feet need lots of extra care during the winter months, after all they aren’t wearing snowboots and thick socks like us. So, the first thing to do is to trim the hair that grows between the pads on your dogs paws, this helps to stop any build up of grit or salt, plus if it’s snowing this can get compacted between their toes and quite painful. If the skin is cracked or sore, coconut oil is a great moisturiser for little sore doggy feet. You can also try out one of these handy products for good measure.
NO SOGGY PAWS
If it’s been raining or your dog likes to jump in puddles and streams, always dry them after a walk with a big, warm doggy towel. After all that running about they can get quite cold if they are left to dry out naturally, so give them a hand to get comfy again, and scrub behind those ears and feet.
ICE, ICE, BABY
When your dog is off the lead, be careful of frozen lakes or ponds. Be careful they don’t scurry off for a spot of ice skating, the ice may be thinner than you think.
OVERFEEDING
I know we all like to eat a bit more in the winter, but the thing your pet does not need is an extra layer of fat, so stick to their normal dog food and try not to give them too many treats, especially if they are going to be home and sleeping a little more than in the summer.
ANTI-FREEZE
Keep your dog away from toxins during the winter months – the most common one to avoid is Anti-Freeze. This has a sweet taste to dogs, so keep them away from the garage or places this is likely to have spilled – even the smallest sip can be fatal!
I hope these tips have been helpful! Enjoy your winter walks with your pooch, I’d love to hear your top tips or doggy products you couldn’t be without – so tweet me or comment below!
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This post is a collaboration with PEDIGREE®, but all thoughts are my own. For additional pet care information you can read the following PEDIGREE® Reviews for tips and advice
